The story is narrated by Red, a long-term inmate at Shawshank State Penitentiary, and tells the tale of his friendship with Andy Dufresne, a banker who is wrongfully convicted of murder. The story unfolds as Andy endures the harsh realities of prison life while maintaining hope and resilience.
“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild.”
Stephen King, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption
My Thoughts
This is only my second Stephen King I’ve read and I feel as though we’re already headed toward a love/hate/love relationship.
Stephen King has great stories, I would even say unique. I just don’t generally like the execution. In this case it’s more of a personal preference. I honestly can’t stand reading a story I am being told. I rather feel as though I am in it, witnessing it, and this book definitely didn’t do that. It gave the impression of grandpa droning on and never getting to the point, which is kind of sad as it’s only 111 pages long.
I will say, the story is a good one and that’s why I only docked it 2 stars out of 5. The story redeemed it and it didn’t lose too much because of the execution.
I watched the movie after I read the book and enjoyed the movie much more. One of those rare occasions where I believe the movie is better than the book.
Content Warnings
As some may consider content warnings a spoiler, I have hidden them behind a spoiler warning.
Confinement, Sexual Assault, Rape, Violence, Murder, Racial Slurs, Alcoholism, Suicide